What are the symptoms of Hunter syndrome

When it comes to Hunter syndrome, many friends don’t know what this disease is, and many people don’t even know that this disease exists. This has a lot to do with its relatively low clinical incidence. Its main incidence is a peripheral facial paralysis caused by the resurrection of the herpes virus. This disease must be distinguished from Bell’s palsy, otherwise there will be no good effect during treatment. If you want to distinguish between these two diseases, you must first understand the symptoms of Hunter syndrome.

The main symptoms of Hunter syndrome are severe pain in one ear, ear herpes, and peripheral facial palsy on the same side, which may be accompanied by hearing and balance disorders. The disease is caused by the varicella-zoster virus lurking in the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve, which reactivates when the body's immune function is reduced. In addition to invading the geniculate ganglion, it can also affect the adjacent auditory nerve. Impaired cellular immunity is associated with the onset of the disease. Because the infection spreads to the brain and causes local meningitis, the cerebrospinal fluid often has abnormalities. This disease is usually treated with hormones and neurotrophic agents.

Clinical manifestations

The typical manifestation is unilateral peripheral facial paralysis accompanied by auricular herpes.

Because the lesion is in the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve, which is the place that manages the secretion of the tear gland, more than 70% of patients have reduced or even absent tears on the affected side. This is undoubtedly a further blow to the affected eye that can no longer close. Patients will develop dry eyes. If not treated in time, mild cases may lead to conjunctivitis, and severe cases may cause corneal damage and degeneration, leading to permanent vision loss.

Most patients also have symptoms of auditory nerve involvement, namely tinnitus/deafness. Some patients have symptoms of vestibular nerve involvement, namely unsteady walking, dizziness, etc. A few patients may lose their ability to work as a result.

In a few patients, the virus infection is more extensive and can affect the brainstem, causing brainstem encephalitis and multiple cranial neuritis. If the oculomotor nerve is affected, eye fixation may occur. We once encountered a particularly severe case in which the second to ninth cranial nerves were infected, and the patient eventually became blind as a result of the disease.

After knowing the symptoms of Hunter syndrome, patients also need to pay attention. Western medicine is not very effective in treating this disease. It is best to use traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture for treatment. During the treatment, patients also need to cooperate with the doctor so that the disease can be completely cured and the patient can recover soon.